“What we do not understand, we fear.”
This, according to Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson Saidamen B. Pangarungan, was the reason why the poll body conducted a walkthrough of the transparency media server at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), Saturday, April 30.
The transparency media server refers to the server which, as part of the transparency media server cluster, receives the electronically transmitted precinct results from vote-counting machines (VCMs).
“This is why activities such as this walkthrough of servers is of utmost importance,” he said during his speech at the UST, where the media transparency server is located.
With just a few days before Election Day, May 9, Pangarungan stressed the need to explain the election processes and phases to the public.
“The Comelec knows full well that automation of the system is easily mistrusted because of an intimidation factor with advanced technologies,” he said.
Pangarungan said the poll body wants “to make all election processes and phases to be as transparent and understandable as possible.”
In the walkthrough, Comelec tackled the following:
(A) The PRELAT (Pre-Logic Accuracy Test) which is a test of election day configuration of each machine using ballot configuration and its relation to the servers
Poll Commissioner George Erwin M. Garcia said the process of PRELAT in the memory configuration room starts from the loading of the electoral data (candidates, positions, seats) and voting jurisdictions (precinct, city/municipality, province, barangay, voting center); generating ballot face; generating serialized ballot; generating SD configuration for VCM (Vote-Counting Machine); generating configurations for CCS (Consolidated Canvassing System); and the transfer of SD cards, pins, ibuttons to kitting for VCM and CCS kit.
Next is the VCM group wherein, he said, the following will be done: test VCM diagnostic; test VCM configuration using three PRELAT ballots; transmit to CCS; check result; rezero VCM; put the kit in the VCM box; and transfer to the verified who will check the VCM box.
Meanwhile, under the CCS group, Garcia said they are "monitoring transmission, generating reports, verifying correctness, rezero and kit."
(B) The physical arrangement and equipment installed in the transparency, central, backup, and media servers
Garcia said the equipment installed in data centers are servers, routers, switches, and transmission media.
(C) Actual transmission of results from the VCM (vote-counting machine) and the CCS (Consolidated Canvassing System)
After the closing of the poll, Garcia said the electoral boards will connect the transmission media and the results will automatically be transmitted to the central server.
"Then, the Central server router will transmit the result to ccs, and transparency," he added"
(D) And the security measures in place
The poll commissioner said the security systems that they put in place are VVPAT or the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Paper Trail, RMA or Random Manual Audit, and audit logs.
The poll chairperson has vowed to do its best in preserving the sanctity of the Filipino vote.
Meanwhile, Pangarungan warned the public against the rampant spread of “fake and wrong information” during the election season.
“he Comelec continues to build public trust through full transparency and voter education,” he ended.
On April 28, the Comelec announced that 10 major political parties will also have access to the transparency server.